Airborne wind turbine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An airborne wind turbine is a design concept for a wind turbine that is supported in the air without a tower. A tether would be used to transmit energy to the ground. These systems would have the advantage of tapping an almost constant wind and doing so without a set of slip rings or yaw mechanism, without the expense of tower construction. The main disadvantage is that kites and 'helicopters' come down when there is insufficient wind. These schemes require a very long power cable and an aircraft exclusion zone. As of 2006, no commercial airborne wind turbines are in regular operation.

[edit] Aerodynamic variety

Bryan Roberts, a professor of engineering at the University of Technology, in Sydney, Australia, has proposed a helicopter-like craft which flies to 15,000 feet altitude and stays there, held aloft by wings that generate lift from the wind, and held in place by a cable to a ground anchor. The Sky WindPower company in San Diego, California is attempting to commercialize this idea.

According to its designers, while some of the energy in the wind would be 'lost' on lift, the constant and potent winds would allow it to generate constant electricity.

Since the winds usually blow horizontally, the turbines would be at an angle from the horizontal, catching winds while still generating lift. Deployment could be done by feeding electricity to the turbines, which would turn them into electric motors, lifting the structure into the sky.

[edit] Aerostat variety

Balloons can be added to the mix to keep the contraption up without wind; but, balloons leak slowly and have to be at least resupplied with lifting gas, possibly patched as well.

An Ontario based company called Magenn Power Inc. has developed a turbine called the Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS). The MARS system uses a horizontal rotor in a helium suspended apparatus which is tethered to a transformer on the ground. Magenn states that their technology provides high torque, low starting speeds, and superior overall efficiency thanks to its ability to deploy higher in comparison to non-aerial solutions. Magenn claims to be putting the first of the MARS product line on the market in 2006.